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Extra Special
Parenting a Child With Multiple Special Needs
By Gwen Morrison
Nadine Vogel, a mom from Short Hills, N.J., knows firsthand the challenges of raising a child with multiple special needs, as both of her daughters fall into this category.
When Vogel's 10-year-old daughter was born, doctors didn't expect her to live more than two days. She was born with an undiagnosed neuromuscular disorder that left her unable to swallow on her own. Vogel's daughter, who is now 8 years old and attending a regular third grade class, also suffers from left side orthopedic issues and speech problems. Vogel's second child was diagnosed at birth with Wolf Parkinson White syndrome, a condition that affects the heart and can potentially cause congestive heart failure. She also has an irregular heartbeat and a leaky heart valve.
Vogel turned her life experiences as a mother into a career when she founded MetLife's Division of Estate Planning for Special Kids in 1998. She was determined to inform parents of the many important aspects of raising a child with special needs. She has devoted her life to this mission and has become an inspiration to many parents.
In order to find specialists, financial aid and educational resources, parents are forced to battle their way through many systems. Support is there, but parents have to learn how to find it and then fight for the best for their kids.
"The challenges are many," says Dr. Maricel Cigales, a board-certified behavior analyst and president of Advance Behavior Consulting in Miami, Fla., an agency that provides behavior analysis services. "This is true for a child with even one significant disability but is compounded exponentially when there are multiple disabilities or needs."
Vogel and her husband learned this the hard way. Having to struggle through the processes and various systems looking for help, Vogel became an expert on special needs rights. Now she fights for the rights of all special needs children and their families.
